How to Create an Implementation Plan

by Jess Haynes; Updated September 26, 2017

Implementing the business plan is what makes composing the business plan worthwhile. Reaching the goals established in your business plan is a testament to your efforts and fulfills promises made to lenders and investors.

Grab a print copy of your business plan and sit down with your management team. To implement your business goals, your team needs to first identify its objectives. Creating an implementation plan is about creating actionable steps for measurable results.

Items you will need

Business plan

Highlighters

Five Steps to Your Business's Implementation Plan

Step 1

Highlight the goals and desired end results outlined in your business plan. Use a bold florescent marker to make each of your goals stand out.

Step 2

Write the objectives, or the strategies, required to achieve each of the goals that you have outlined.

Step 3

Delegate objectives to individual members of your management team for them to complete or to oversee their further delegation. Every member of the management team should have an objective that she is responsible for implementing.

Step 4

Determine milestones for measuring your progress in each of your objectives. The other members with delegated objectives should do the same with their responsibilities.

Step 5

Operate on a "next action" basis until you have implemented your business plan. According to action management expert David Allen (see Resources) in his work "Getting Things Done," a next action is defined as "the next physical, visible action that needs to be engaged in, in order to move the current reality toward completion." Meet regularly with your management team to share progress reports, hold each other accountable, and round-table brainstorm for fresh input on implementing your business plan.

Tips

Objectives should be further broken down on an individual basis into tasks. Many tasks can be delegated to relevant professionals. Self-employed professionals and sole proprietors can use weekly reviews to hold themselves accountable for the implementation of their business plan.

References

About the Author

Writing has been Jess Haynes’ business since 2006. She currently runs a network of sites and offers copywriting services to other business owners. Haynes has taken courses at Central Texas College and the Central Texas Small Business Development Resource Center.